The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-10
WANTED TO SEE GROVER.

An Amateur Mesmerist Affords
Amusement to Capital Party.
From Washington Letter to the Chicago News.
There was funny scene the other even
ing, which has since been described at a
Cabinet meeting, and enjoyed by the Presi-
dent and all concerned. Mr.. W. A Croft
fut, the editor of the Washington Post, is
an amateur mesmerist, having cultivated
the faculty with the late Dr. Beard, of New
York, and others until he has become quite
proficient and can throw a subject into
state of hypnOtism as easily and well as
Carpenter or any other of the professionals
He frequently exercises the power for the
amusement of his friends, and the other
evening invited Secretary and Mrs. Lamar
Postmaster General and Mrs. Villas, Gen.
and Mrs. Black, Gen. and Mrs. John c. FIRE.
mont and several others to witness per
Torrance. The subjects were young men
from the neighborhood, all of whom were
known to the spectators. so there was no
chance of COLLISION. Mr. Croffut hypnotized
one Of them, made him think he was Queen
Victoria on visit to Washington, and then
asked what she wanted to see first.
"Grover" was the prompt reply. Another
youth was mesInerized and made to imagine
himself the President of the United States
How de do. How de do, ma'am!n said
the President when he was presented to the
Queen. TIN glad to see you in Washing
ton. How's the Prince of Wales and the
Princess and the little Waleses! hope you
left them all WE'LL
The Queen replied that they were all toll
erably comfortable, and asked after Mrs.
Cleveland, who, the President said, was as
well as usual, but had gone to Red Top to
stay awhile. The President congratulated
the Queen upon her jubilee and expressed
his surprise that she should come to Ameri-
ca Just as the ceremonies were about to
take place. This seemed to fuddle her ma
jasty good deal, but she parIied the inquiry
py a careless remark that the people of Eng
land didn't mind little thing Ike that.
Then turning to the President she asked:
Are you going to run for a second termN
The President started to reply, but caught
himself, and, turning to her majesty, said,
somewhat reprOachfully: Look here,
Queen, you are trying to interview me.
You want me to tell you whether I'm going
to run or not and then you'll go out and tell
the newspaper fellers, who viii publish lot
of stuff that the President told a gentleman
of prominence who called on him to-day.
Now, if you want to interview me, you go
and see Dan Lamont. He does all the talk
ing for the family"
The Queen repudiated the idea with
show of righteous Indignation and declared
that the President must have mighty poor
opinion or ner II he thought she would give
him away, The President responded sooth-
ingly, saying that he did not mean to reflect
upon her politeness but he had been fooled
a good many times by people who drew
their chairs up close to him and talked as if
| they hoped to die if they told, and rushed
out and gave the whole snap to the news
papers, just to get a little notoriety for
| themselves. He said he did not talk to any
one now. He let Dan Lamont do all the
talking, and if the Queen wanted to know
his views on the question of a second term
| she could interview Daniel.
"By the way, Queen" said the President,
''you ought not to go home without seeing
Daniel. He's a daisy. He's my running
maten
| After some further conversation the Queen
said she thought she must be going, and
started to take her leave.
| You must excuse me, Queen, if | don't
show you much attention while you are
| here, for never was much of lady's man
myself and have heap now onshand, but
| I'll get Whitney to do you up. He under
stands the business. You'll like Whitney
he's ID of fellow. He'll give you a
dinner party and take you to paper hunt
and all that sort of thing. | don't get out
much myself but if you want to have a
good time | recommend you to catch on to
| Whitney" And with this parting advice
the President showed her majesty to the
| door,